Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Training Robots To Recognize You Is A Bad Idea
Active Appearance Modeling is an apparently helpful technology developed to help robots identify individual human beings. Let's take a closer look at how this works.
It's hard enough just to get computers to identify faces, let alone individual faces. However, now even cameras know how to identify faces (OKAO Vision Lets Machines See You Smile).
The next problem is to identify a face regardless of how it is presented to the camera (front and side). The video shown below gives you an idea of how computer brains can do it.
(Active Appearance Modeling video)
The basic idea is to identify specific landmarks on a person's face, like the eyes, eyebrows, mouth, nose and so on. Then, a mesh can be created by connecting these landmarks. Finally, the computer is able to create a three-dimensional mesh model of an individual face.
Carnegie Mellon University researchers are pushing this idea even further. Their active appearance modeling software can identify faces that are partially occluded by objects.
CMU is even working on advanced algorithms to fit AAMs to low resolution images, like those created by cheap webcams, or in poor lighting conditions where digital cameras cannot record a clear image.
Is this a good idea? I guess it would be good if my Scooba floor-washing robot or LawnBott robotic mower could recognize me. But is there a downside to being recognized by robots?
("You are experiencing a car accident")
I thought so. I'm sure there are other examples (readers?).
This article was inspired by this happy-go-lucky post at io9; see also Advance interaction using facial information and AAM Fitting Algorithms at CMU.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 5/21/2008)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 5 )
Related News Stories - (" Robotics ")
Robots Repair And Modify Themselves
'The overworked leg motor would have to cool down before he could work on it...' Harry Harrison, 1956.
Robot Janitors Get To Work
'A few mechanical cleaning devices crept here and there...'- Philip K. Dick, 1957.
Robots Learn To Install Charged Batteries Into Themselves
This is nothing new for science fiction fans!
Robot Rabbits Entice Pythons
'That little robot rabbit knew what it was talking about...' - JW Groves, 1950.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Quaise Uses Beams Of Energy To Dig Geothermal Wells
'The peculiar quality of this light, which gave it its great preeminence over all other penetrating rays...'
Robots Repair And Modify Themselves
'The overworked leg motor would have to cool down before he could work on it...'
Waymo And Tesla 'Autonomous Cabs' Are Piloted By Remote Drivers
‘Where to, sport?’ the starter at cab relay asked.
Robot Janitors Get To Work
'A few mechanical cleaning devices crept here and there...'
Robots Learn To Install Charged Batteries Into Themselves
This is nothing new for science fiction fans!
Robot Rabbits Entice Pythons
'That little robot rabbit knew what it was talking about...'
LLM 'Cognitive Core' Now Evolving
'Their only check on the growth and development of Vulcan 3 lay in two clues: the amount of rock thrown up to the surface... and the amount of the raw materials and tools and parts which the computer requested.'
Has Elon Musk Given Up On Mars?
'There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.'
Bacteria Turns Plastic Into Pain Relief? That Gives Me An Idea.
'I guess there's nobody round this table who doesn't have a Crosswell [tapeworm] working for him in the small intestine.'
When Your Child's Best Friend Is An AI
'Figments of his mind in one sense, of course, for he had shaped them...'
China's Drone Mothership Can Carry 100 Drones
'So the parent drone carries a spotter that it launches...'
Drones Recharge In Mid-Air Like Jets Refuel!
'...nurse drones that would cruise around dumping large amounts of power into randomly selected pods.'
Australian Authors Reject AI Training Of Llama
'It's done with a flip of the third joint of the tentacle on the down beat.'
Is China Mining Helium-3 On The Moon's Farside?
'...for months Grantline bores had dug into the cliff.'
Maybe It's Too Soon To Require Autonomous Mode
'I hope all those other cars are on automatic,' he said anxiously.
Is Agentic AI The Wrong Kind Of Smartness?
'It’s smart enough to go wrong in very complicated ways, but not smart enough to help us find out what’s wrong.'
